Profile

Taste & Aroma

Score:90

The 2004 Grenache Clarendon Hills exhibits a lovely dark ruby color along with a big, sweet kiss of black cherry liqueur intermixed with hints of tobacco leaves and resiny pine forest scents. Aromatic, smooth, velvety textured, and sexy, this is a full-bodied, delicious Grenache to drink over the next 7-8 years.

Robert Parker on Oct 1st, 2006

Producer

Under the motto of ‘purity and perfection’ Biochemist Roman Bratasiuk of Clarendon Hills wine has been flattering the palates of consumers and critics alike since 1989. With no formal oenological qualifications, his obsession to attain a finished product of unrivalled quality has been fuelled by a personal love of exceptional wine. At this McLaren Vale property he is now joined by sons Adam and Alex who help with management and winemaking.

Production is dedicated to varietal wines from vineyards that have exceptional soils, aspect and climatic conditions that aid optimal berry development and expression of the individual grape variety. Most vine stock is original French cuttings of more than 90 years old, which are dry farmed to prevent dilution of juice concentration. Harvesting of fruit is done by hand followed by rigorous sorting before pressing. Roman insists on using indigenous yeasts in the fermentation process as a means of expressing a sense of place and identity. This philosophy carries through to the pre-bottling stage where the wine sees no fining or filtration for maximum flavour intensity. The jewel in the crown though is the Astralis label, which is seen as an iconic wine of quality and power coming from old bush syrah vines dating back to 1920. It was this very wine that led Robert Parker to name Roman as 'Wine Producer of the year' in 1996.

Region

McLaren Vale is situated south of The Barossa Valley in South Eastern Australia. The local climates vary enormously according to altitude and exposure to the cooling sea breezes. Red grapes flourish here due to the warm climate and varied soil type and the region is best known for soft and juicy Shiraz, old-vine Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The climate is similar to that of the Mediterranean climate with four clear seasons. We can highly recommend the producers Kay Brothers, Clarendon Hills and Shirvington Estate from whom we have some fantastic wines.

Glassware

Riedel Veritas Syrah / Shiraz (2 Glasses)

Enjoy your favourite wine the way it was meant to taste with these wonderful lead crystal creations from Riedel, which are shaped according to the character of the wine in order to enhance its rich, aromatic flavours.